Matchmaker Lane
by Awkward Markie
Summary: Serena moves to a Southern neighborhood that, unknowingly to her, has been dubbed Matchmaker lane because of four married women who are hell-bent on setting up any single neighbor that moves in. And poor Serena is their next victim. (Sere/Dare)
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: Matchmaker Lane (Chapter One)  
  
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not and never will own Sailor Moon. As much as I would love to own it there are some dreams that will never become a reality. However, this story line is mine.  
  
SUMMERY: Serena moves to a new neighborhood and meets some new friends. Her new friends are trying to hook her up in subtle ways without her knowing it. Every guy they introduce to her is rejected. Then Raye's older brother, Darien, comes to town for her birthday. Darien had somehow slipped the girls' minds as a possible hook-up for Serena. But, at Raye's B-day bash it finally hits them. Have the girls found Serena's perfect match? Read and find out.   
  
A.N.: I got the idea for this story while reading a short story in a woman's magazine. The short story is called "The Good Neighbor" and is by Sharon Irwin Diaz. I am NOT copying that story. I just got and idea while reading it. The only similar aspect is a neighbor tries to play matchmaker, or in my case, neighbors. There will be some dialogue that may seem like grammatical mistakes, but I'm trying to capture the way southerners talk. There will also be what some things that seem like grammatical mistakes and are grammatical mistakes. I'm horrible in grammar when it comes to my work. (Don't even get me started on spelling.) I also want to thank the people who are reading my other story "Love through Pain and Sorrow." I will now shut up because I know, Dear Readers, you are tired of my yakking.   
  
  
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Whenever life doesn't seem to give an answer, we create one.  
  
-Lorraine Hansberry   
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CHAPTER ONE  
  
Serena sighed, as she finally spotted the street sign that read JUNIPER LANE, just as the sun was going down. After driving for four hours, she was finally happy to be able to rest. Who knew four hours in a car could actually make your butt fall asleep? Well if she had, she would have defiantly made more pit stops.  
Finally, she would be able to move a few things into her new home. It had been a big step in her life to move from her hometown in Tennessee to South Carolina. She had never been this far away from her parents, and it was about time for her to spread her wings. She was twenty-five, after all.  
She pulled into her new driveway and immediately got out and began to stretch, mentally making a note to get an appointment with the local chiropractor. She gazed at her new home. It was a small one-story white house, perfect for a single woman. Small rose bushes were planted along the front porch and the smell of them, mixed with fragrance of freshly cut grass coming from a neighbor's yard, filled the air. It was perfect for her.  
She then popped the trunk of her car and retrieved the few possessions she brought with her and trudged up to the front door while fishing her key the real estate agent had given her out of her pant pocket. She pushed the door open and was greeted by an empty house. She shut the door behind her and sat her belongings down on the plush beige carpet. The movers wouldn't be by until tomorrow, which left her sleeping on the floor. Something that was not good for her already sore back.  
She decided to wait until tomorrow to unpack the things she brought with her. So, instead, she grabbed the pillow and the blanket draped across her suitcase and headed for the master bedroom to take a nap on the floor.  
Serena awoke the next morning, with the rising sun shinning in her face through the curtain-less window. She groaned and rolled over, trying to block the sun by placing her pillow over her face. Just as she was about to fall back into slumber her doorbell rang. She grumbled something incoherent before slowly rising to her feet.  
"It better be Publisher's Clearing House," she mumbled before slowly opening her door to be greeted by a large man in a movers' uniform.  
"Miss. Smith?" the man questioned.  
Serena nodded her head and opened the door wider in an invitation for him to come in. She knew her long blond hair was in disarray and her blue eyes were drossy. But, did she care? Not in the least. What was the likelihood she would ever see this man again? Besides, he didn't look so hot himself.   
The man left to go back to the truck after making sure he had the right house. His partner already had the back of the U-Haul truck open and was beginning to carry things towards the house.  
In the mean time, Serena dug through her suitcase for her instant coffee and a microwavable bowl, two things she always traveled with. She then trudged into the kitchen and proceeded to heat a bowl of water in the microwave. Once completed, she consumed the drink in a matter of minutes.  
She then went into the living room where she saw the movers bringing her couch though the front door.  
"Where do you want this, lady?" asked a mover slightly younger than the first. She wanted to lecture the man on the proper ways to address a woman, but she was still too tired to ague.   
"Over there, against that wall," she pointed out.  
  
  
  
"Lita, look out your window. There's a moving van in number thirty-two's driveway. We have ourselves a new neighbor."  
"Really? Hold on while I go look." Lita placed the phone down and raced to her living room window. Her gaze settled across the street where a moving van was parked, steadily unloading furniture. "Well, I'll be," she whispered.   
"You'll be what, Honey?" asked a voice from behind Lita.  
Lita turned to her husband Ken and stared into his brown eyes adoringly. Brushing a hand through his short brown hair she smiled and said, "We have a new neighbor." She giggled and returned to the kitchen and picked up the phone.  
"Should I bake something, Mina?"  
"Yeah, I'd think so. Gatta show our Southern hospitality." Mina giggled  
"I'll back a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Do you know who our neighbor is?"  
"Yummy, cookies sound great, and I have no idea who our neighbor is. Later you, Amy, Raye, and I can all go over and see once your cookies are done. How 'bout that?"  
"Sure, sounds great."  
"Well, I have to call Amy and Raye and inform them. Bye."  
"Bye," Lita said and hung up once he heard the dial tone. She then began the horrendous task of trying to find the ingredients for the cookies.  
  
Serena closed the door behind the movers. After two hours of moving her furniture and boxes upon boxes filled with her belongings in her new home, they were finally leaving. Now, the hard part came. Where in the world was she going to put everything?   
Well you'll never get it done standing there, she thought. So, she sat down next to the nearest box marked "PAINTINGS," and began ripping the tape holding it closed. Luckily, the old paintings she had collected at various yard sales, would work well in her new home. She picked the painting on top up, a beautiful scene of a lake and the sun setting in the background, and decided where to put it. It ended up hanging above the mantle of the fireplace.  
She worked her way though her living room until she decided nothing else should go in there. Serena determined it would be best if she worked on her bedroom for now. After all, it was where she slept. She had just finished putting her clothes in her closet, when the doorbell rang once again.  
Still hopping it was Publisher's Clearing House, she answered the door. This time instead of it being a large man, it was four young women, all in their late twenties.   
The one in front was a tall brunet with sparkling green eyes. She held out a plate of chocolate chip cookies towards Serena. A smile was gracing her features.   
Beside the brunet, was a woman with blond hair reaching just below her butt. A red ribbon held back some of her golden locks, while blue eyes held mischief. She too was a smiling; in fact, all of them were.  
Behind the blond there was a raven-haired woman. Her brown eyes seemed to be scrutinizing Serena and when the woman found Serena harmless, they became cheerful and matched her now genuine smile.  
Beside the raven-haired woman there was a timid blue-grey (A.N. This is a hair color. I've seen it on a hair color ad on TV.) haired woman. She had a genuine smile and an apologetic look on her face.  
The brunet began to speak, "Hi, I'm Lita Green-"  
She was cut off by the blond, "I'm Mina Hart-"  
Who was cut off by the raven-haired woman, "I'm Raye Davis-"  
Then the blue-grey haired woman interrupted, "And, I'm Amy Anderson, and we're-"   
"Your new neighbors," they all spoke at once.  
Serena laughed and ushered them inside.  
"I'm Serena Smith, and I'm sorry, but I'm not finished unpacking. I also haven't been to the grocery store, so I have nothing to offer you but a glass of water."  
"Water's fine," spoke Mina. Once Serena left the room Mina turned to the group of women. "Did any of you happen to get a look at her left hand?" At the blank look on her friends' faces she continued, "She's single. No wedding band. She's new in town so I doubt she is dating anyone. I feel a matchmaking scheme coming on."  
The other girls smiled in agreement. It would be fun. Serena seemed nice, and it had been a while since they had done any matchmaking.   
Serena came back into the room and handed each girl a glass of water. She then grabbed a cookie from the plate Lita had set down on the coffee table.  
"These are so good. You have got to give me the recipe."  
"Sure thing," said Lita.  
"So, tell us about yourself, Serena," spoke the quiet Amy.  
"Well," and the conversation lasted for hours.   
  
  
  
"Bye it was nice meeting you." Serena waved as her new friends exited her home. She closed the door and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. Afterwards she planed on doing some grocery shopping.   
Once she was out of the shower she rummaged through her closet for something to ware. She found some bootlegged jeans, some brown heeled boots, and a white tank top. She grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the door.  
She rolled down her window while she drove, letting the country air whip at her blond hair, that thankfully for her, she had tied back in a ponytail. She headed towards the Bi-Lo she seen the other day while searching for her home.   
She walked through the sliding glass doors and grabbed a buggy, which she pushed up and down every aisle only stopping to grab the things she needed. She left the store with a buggy full of food. She passed by a newspaper vender and decided to get one so she could look at the classifieds. Satisfied she could now leave, she loaded her car and headed home.  
When she arrived home she grabbed a few grocery bags and carried them inside. She repeated the process until her car was empty, and once she had everything put away she ate a few of Lita's cookies and headed to bed. It had been a long, tiring day.  
  
  
Darien Shields, an assistant prosecutor, sighed as he took off his gold-rimmed glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It had been a long and hectic day that, unfortunately, was not over for him. It was nine o'clock at night, and he was still stuck at the office with his secretary long gone. He and was still trying to figure a way to cross-examine the defendant of his latest court case.   
Maybe I should go home and call it a night, he thought as he swiveled his chair around to look out the window of his office to the New York skyline. It was a beautiful night in New York. Few lights were seen in nearby buildings, but down on the street it was bursting with life.  
He loved city life, but often he caught himself dreaming of his past in the country. Fishing in the nearby creek, playing football with neighbors from up the street, and hiking through the woods, were a few of his old favorite pastimes.  
Times have changed- he had changed- since then. He was now a big city dweller, accustomed to tailored suits compared to his old attire of jeans and a T-shirt. And, gone was his southern accent.   
He decided he had been at the office long enough and that it was time to head to his apartment in downtown Manhattan. After grabbing his jacket of the back of his chair, stuffing the files he had been working on in his briefcase, and turning off his desk lamp, he locked his office door and headed to the elevator. 


	2. Chapter Two

TITLE: "Matchmaker Lane" (chapter 2)  
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher  
DISCLAIMER: Everyone knows I don't Sailor Moon, so I don't know why I bother with this.  
A.N.: Here is the next chapter of "Matchmaker Lane." I hope you enjoy it! I am soooo sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. It's not my forte. Please review. I love them. And if you have time and haven't already read it, check out my other story "Love through Pain and Sorrow."  
  
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This country has more problems than it should tolerate  
And more solutions than it uses.  
  
-Ralph Nader  
(consumer rights advocate)   
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
The next morning Serena awoke to the rising sun again. Only this time, it was of her on accord, and she had slept in a bed instead of on the floor. She went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee, this time with lots of cream and sugar.   
After having herself a sip or two she began to make herself a nice Southern breakfast consisting of beacon, eggs, and grits. Once she had finished eating she decided she could start to unpack the rest of her belongings.   
At two o'clock, she flopped down on her bed and gave an exhausted sigh. She was finished and was now officially moved in. Now, she could invite her parents over and show them how well she was doing. She had graduated from college a few months ago and hoped to find a job as a secretary until she could raise enough money to open a dental practice somewhere. But until then, she had to cope with what she could find.   
She rolled off the bed and headed to the kitchen. She had yet to look at the newspaper she bought the previous day. Before she could enter the kitchen, her doorbell rang. Opening the door, she discovered Raye had decided to pay her a visit.  
"Hello, Raye," Serena said while letting Raye come in.  
"Hi. They girls and I were going to the movies so we could get away from our husbands for a while. We were wondering if you would like to come with us. Afterwards we were thinking of going to the mall. Do you want to come?"  
"Sure let me get my purse and fix up my appearance a little. Will I be riding with you or will I be taking my car?"  
"We're going in my van. Your place looks great."  
"Thanks, I finished today," Serena called from her bedroom. Serena walked out dressed in kaki shorts and a baby-blue tank top. Her long hair was redone in a half ponytail. She grabbed her purse and locked her front door before fallowing Raye to her house where the other girls were waiting in her van.  
On the way to the theater the girls chatted casually about their families and jobs. Serena listened intently as Amy spoke of her job at Messenger Hospital and of how it was there she met her husband of two years, Greg.  
Lita spoke of her restaurant, Oasis, where she was head chef. From what Serena had tasted of Lita's cooking (the cookies she had brought over for her), she had talent. And, Serena was a huge fan of anything editable. Lita also spoke of her husband Ken, an accountant.  
Raye was a stay-at-home mom who took care of her two-year-old twins, Phoebe and Damian. Her husband Chad was, from what Serena heard, high up the corporate ladder of a city bank and was able to support his family.   
Mina owned her own a thriving beauty salon called Love and Beauty. She and her husband Andrew, a lawyer, had been married for almost a year now and were hoping to have children soon.  
All the talk about families made Serena wish she would find her soul mate. She had always believed in soul mates, but thought not everyone found theirs. Whether the reason was because one died before meeting their other half, or miles separated them.  
So, instead of talking about a husband and children, Serena talked about her mother, father, little brother, and of her hometown in Tennessee. She told them of her brother's approaching wedding in the fall, and of how she was planning to invite them over for a visit to see her new place.   
When they finally reached the theater and bought their tickets, all of them were ready to watch the latest James Bond movie. All of them unanimously agreed that Pierce Brosnan played the best James Bond.  
As the girls were looking for seats, Serena never noticed that the other girls were not only looking for five empty seats beside each other, but also one with a single guy near by. And when they did find some seats, the girls strategically placed Serena by a very handsome single guy. Or so they thought until a woman with a bag of popcorn squeezed through the small space in front of them and sat down on the other side of the man, who immediately placed his arms around the woman's shoulders. The movie started, so Serena never saw the look of disappointment in her friends' eyes.   
As the movie went on, Serena wondered how a man like James Bond was able to get that many women. It was almost as if getting into his bed was like winning the Nobel Prize. They went freely. Must be movie magic, Serena thought, no one can be that irresistible.   
  
  
Darien had come back to the office after a lunch brake, relaxed and ready to work. Before heading into his office, he checked with his secretary of three years, Angela, to see if he had received any messages while he was gone.  
"You received one call from your friend Andrew, saying for you to call him at his office when you got in. Other than that, it's been peaceful, Mr. Shields."  
"Thank you, Angela." Darien then turned towards his office. But before he made it his secretary called out to him.  
"I'm going to be out of town a few days next week. I hope you don't mind."  
Darien turned to look at his secretary and saw the smile on her face; his suspicions were confirmed. He then returned the smile before asking, "You're sister is having another hysterectomy?" When her smile brightened and she nodded, he inquired, "I guess Rob didn't work out? Too, bad I thought you had found the one from the way you talked about him."  
"I did too," she said.   
"Oh well," he continued. "I'll see you when you get back, but I don't know what I'll do without you while you're gone. I guess I will have to tough it out for a few days." He smiled once more and entered his office.  
Angela looked at her boss's closed door, a smile still tugging at her lips. It had become a private joke between her, her family and Mr. Shields that whenever she decided she had had enough of a man she had been dating for and extensive period, she would claim, "My sister's having a hysterectomy, and I will been out of town for a few days." Of course, if the lie had been true, then her sister would have had about eight hysterectomies by now; of course, there was no telling how many more guys she would tell the story to.   
She would then go on a short vacation or visit family, and while she was gone she would come up with a way to calmly dump the man she didn't deem worthy of her. And maybe check out any guys she met.   
She was so lucky to have found such a nice boss that gave her three weeks vacation a year. There was no telling how many guys in a year she went out with, but most of them didn't qualify to the hysterectomy story.  
Her thoughts returned to her boss. He is such a nice man, she thought, too bad he isn't a couple years older. Otherwise, she thought, my sister might be permanently sterile. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why her boss never dated. After all, she wasn't blind to the looks the younger secretaries gave her boss. Heck, she's even taken a few glances herself in the past. Someday he'll find a nice girl, and when he does, I better be invited to the wedding.   
  
  
Darien entered his office, threw his blazer over the back of his chair, and flopped down in front of his computer. Before he got to work, though, he decided it would be best to call Andrew, his best friend since law school.  
"Hey, Andrew, why did you call?"  
"I just felt like talking to my best buddy. Is there something wrong with that?"  
"Why, yes, there is. When you call, it is because you usually want something."  
"Well today is different. My call is a sort of warning for when you come to visit next month for Raye's birthday. We have gotten a new neighbor, and the girls are at it again."  
"So, another victim perishes to Matchmaker Lane. Who is it this time?" Matchmaker Lane is the nickname Darien and Andrew dubbed Andrew's neighborhood. Poor Andrew was a victim two years ago when Darien invited Andrew to come with him to visit his sister Raye. Raye, Amy and Lita had pounced on Andrew like wild dogs, trying to set him up with their new single neighbor, Mina. A year later Darien was the best man at Andrew and Mina's wedding.  
"From Mina's ranting about the new neighbor, I was able to figure out that she is twenty-five and her name is Serena. Apparently the girls decided to get off work early to take Serena to a movie- the poor girl. I haven't met her yet, but it's only a matter of time before Mina invites this Serena girl over for dinner and just happens forgets to tell Serena a single guy friend of hers is coming over too."  
"Some things never change, Andrew."  
"Darien, I'm warning you. I think you're going to be one of the candidates for this Serena person."  
"What makes you so sure they will try to set me up with her? They have never tried before."  
"That's because, Darien, you are never in town when these single ladies are still single. The only time you were in town during one of their little schemes, you brought me. And guess who they thought would be a better match."  
"But, you were the better choice, and besides, when Raye would start calling to tell me about her 'single neighbor', or 'her pretty unhitched neighbor', I knew to make an excuse why I couldn't visit."  
"Well, Dare, you can't make an excuse this time, can you? It's your sister's birthday in a month, and you know she won't let you weasel you way out of coming this time, even if she has to go to New York and drag you here by your ear. She'll do it, too."  
"The bad thing about what you're saying is that I know you're right. I just hope the case I'm working on right now will be finished; or else, Raye will come in the court and then proceed to drag me out by my ear."  
"Yeah, and that won't be very good for the judgeship you're rumored to be getting. I can see the headlines now 'Darien Shields Loses Judgeship after Sister Gives Him an Earful.'" Darien could hear the laughter in his friend's voice and was surprised to find he was smiling at Andrew's small joke.   
"Yes, that would ruin my chances of becoming a judge. Well, I hate to say goodbye, but I need to get back to work. See you in a month."  
"Yeah, bye."  
After Darien hung up, he immediately went back to work, trying to complete what he wasn't able to finish the night before.  
  
  
As the girls' eyes adjusted to the bright sun outside the movie theater, they couldn't help but laugh at Raye's impression of the latest Bond Girl.  
"You have to admit that it was a pretty good movie. I just wish we saw Never Been Kissed (A.N. A gatta see movie)."  
"I agree with you, Mina. I would have rather seen a romantic movie. Why did we go see James Bond anyway?" asked Serena.  
The girls didn't answer for a while. They didn't want to tell her it was because there was a less likely chance of finding a single guy at a woman's movie. Well, at least a straight guy.  
"Lita has a huge crush on Pierce Brosnan." Amy supplied. Serena laughed and never noticed the death look Lita gave Amy, clearly stating she did not like the mentioned actor.   
"Hey let's go to the mall. Andrew and I will be married a year in three weeks, and I want to have some new lingerie." Mina giggled in hopes to advert Lita's attention from the poor Amy.   
It worked as soon as Lita heard the word mall. Even Amy perked up at the idea, but she was even happier to not be at the end of Lita's death glare anymore. So, they unanimously agreed that the mall would be their next stop.  
  
  
Two hours and ten stores later, the girls were still at the mall. It was a busy day and shoppers were bustling about. Teenagers crowded the food court, elderly couples sat on benches for a rest, and Serena and the girls could be found sitting by the wishing fountain inside the mall.   
"Look at that one; he's hot." Lita admired the blond that just passed by.  
"Look at that one," pointed Mina.  
"You are supposed to be married. Serena is the only one who should be aloud to make comments like that," scolded Amy.   
"Amy, we can look but not touch. Besides we're scoping them out for Serena." Mina and Lita nodded in agreement with Raye, while Serena rolled her eyes.  
"Be serious. None of the guys here are my type," said Serena.  
"And just how do you know if they're your type or not?" questioned Lita.   
"I just do."  
"Well what do you look for in a guy?" asked Mina.  
"Well, he has to be tall, strong arms, but not bulky mussels. He has to be romantic, kind, fanny but knows when to be serious, and just plain cute."  
"What hair color do you like on a guy?"  
"I go for blonds, but I'd like to have a guy with dark hair."  
"Sounds perfect, but so is Andrew," giggled Mina.  
Each of the girls had a different guy in mind once they heard Serena's dream guy, but for some reason no one thought of Raye's single brother Darien.  
"Oh, look at that one's butt," Lita said, her attention back on the passing men.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
A.N. Hoped you liked it. And if you did, you can tell me just how much in a review. ^_^ 


	3. Chapter Three

TITLE: "Matchmaker Lane" (Chap. 3)  
  
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher  
  
DISCLAIMER: You guessed it, I don't own Sailor Moon  
  
A.N.: Hey! I wasn't planning on posting this chapter so soon, but it's Thanksgiving. Plus I was so happy about the success of my newest story "Christmas Dreams." Check it out if you haven't already. I might put this story on hold for a little while because I want "Christmas Dreams" to be finished by Christmas. It seems to be coming along pretty quick, but who knows when writer's block will happen. I love reviewers (hint hint). So if you like this story or any of my others, don't be shy. I love feedback. Make suggestions if you want. And if I can fit them into the plot I already have planned out, I'll use them. Well, here's chapter three.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
A month later found Serena getting ready for her fourth date since moving to South Carolina. She promised herself she wouldn't go out on another date for a long time. But little did she know, that in only a matter of days she would be breaking her promise.  
  
Her first date, Richard, had been introduced to her by Amy. He was a doctor where Amy worked. But what Serena thought would be a nice lunch date with a single guy, turned out to be a boring lunch date with a gay guy. Poor, innocent Amy didn't realize it, but Serena figured it out when she saw Richard staring at another man's butt instead of hers.  
  
Then there was Michael. She hadn't realized it was a date until she arrived at Mina's house for dinner, fully expecting it would just be her, Mina and Andrew. Then five minutes after she arrived, Michael arrived decked out in slacks, a dress shirt, and a toupee.  
  
After Michael there was Justin, Lita's idea. He had fixed Lita's car, and the fact he was a mechanic, showed. He picked her up dressed in old jeans with holes in the knees and a plaid shirt. Together, they had went to McDonald's in his pick-up truck.  
  
Now she was going to meet Walter, a friend of Raye. So far, she knew he was veterinarian and was single. Maybe she would enjoy this date, but she doubted it with the way her love life was going.  
When her doorbell rang she glanced at the mirror one last time before answering the door. There on her doorstep, stood a man just over six feet. His chocolate colored eyes accessed her as she did the same to him. Serena noted he had a kind face, and eminently felt at ease. She also took in his dark hair that was thinning around top.  
  
Walter offered her the flowers he held, and she accepted. She went into the kitchen to fill a vase with water to place the daisies in before leaving with him. His car was nicer than Michael's and she doubted he would take her to a fast food place, but Serena was never one to judge people by her first look at them.  
  
As Walter opened her car door for her, she thought that maybe this night wouldn't be a total waist.  
  
  
  
Darien had just finished packing for his visit to his sister's. He needed the vacation after his latest case. The publicity had given him a headache, one far worse then Raye had ever given him. So, he was a little more than happy to be going to Raye's. The country life was just what he needed at the moment, so much so, he decided he would prolong his trip back to New York.   
  
He just hoped that in the three weeks he would be there, he wouldn't be forced into a date with his sister's new single friend. But, with pleasure came pain, and a lot was associated with Raye. But as much as he joked about Raye's temper, it was one of her traits he wouldn't want her to give up. After all, as a teenager he never was forced to protect her from bad dates; she handled them on her own.  
  
He placed his suitcases beside the door, and hoped he didn't forget anything. His lap top was packed on top, he had his pants, shirts, boxers (A.N. I think Darien is a boxer man : ) ), all the essentials.   
  
It was late, he noted as he looked at his clock that read ten. He had an early flight in the morning and didn't want to miss it. So instead of staying up late to watch the Late Show like he usually did, he decided it would be best if he went to bed to dream of his peaceful stay in rural South Carolina.  
  
But little did Darien know, that his stay would be anything but peaceful.  
  
  
  
  
The sun was shinning, the birds were chirping, and Serena was sleeping. That is, she was until the doorbell rang. She already knew who it was before she left her bed; it would be the girls asking how her date went.  
  
She trudged down the hallway, her bedroom slippers making noises against the carpet one her way to the door. Slowly Serena opened the door, but before it was fully open Mina stormed inside closely followed by Lita, Raye, and Amy.  
  
Blurry eyed, Serena stared at her smiling guests, and wished she had some of whatever they had to be so chipper at eight in the morning.  
  
"So, how'd it go?" Mina asked straight to the point.  
  
"He was nice," Serena yawned.  
  
"Just nice? That's it?" asked Lita.  
  
"That's just it. He was too nice. He seemed to be kind of a wimp. Raye are you sure he's your friend?"  
  
"Yes. My dog Rocky goes to him."  
  
"Yeah, well, Raye I hate to tell you, but your dog has a sissy as a doctor. As I said, he's nice but I want a guy who's not afraid to live now and then. Not that I don't want a sensitive guy, but I don't one who's idea of fun is playing checkers. Plus, we didn't share the same interests."  
  
"Such a shame. We thought you'd like 'em," Mina expressed as she flopped down on the couch.  
  
"He's okay as a friend, but nothing more."   
  
"Well, let's talk about something more fun like Raye's upcoming birthday," Amy smiled.  
  
"Oh that's right. Raye's turning twenty-six," Serena said glad the focus of the conversation was on someone besides her.  
  
"Yep, It's tomorrow. Darien's flying out this morning so he can be here for my birthday." Raye smiled. She couldn't wait to see her brother. Maybe he'd bring a guy for her to introduce to Serena.  
  
"Darien is?"  
  
"My big brother. You remember; I told you about him." At Serena's blank look. Raye continued,   
"The assistant prosecutor that is up for a judgeship."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I remember now," Serena said remembering the way Raye had boasted over her older brother on the night Serena had dinner at Raye's house.  
  
"He called me the other day and told me he's staying for three weeks! Said he needed a vacation. He never takes one, and I figured if he ever did he would go to the Bahamas or something. I'm not complaining, though. He'd be the perfect babysitter for when we have a girls' day out," Raye rambled.  
  
The women chatted away the morning until it was time for Raye to pick up her brother from the airport and, whether she knew it or not, Serena's destiny.   
  
  
  
  
As Darien exited the terminal, he was more than happy to notice that Raye was already there and waiting. Her annoyed face due to the planes late of arrival, turned to one of happiness. She was there along with Chad, Phoebe, and Damian.  
  
She greeted Darien with open arms, and he had no choice but to hug back. Once he let go of Raye, he scooped up his niece and nephew. Phoebe giggled and kissed her Uncle Darien on the cheek. Damian hugged Darien fiercely around the neck. He set both the children down before turning to Chad and giving him a hearty handshake.  
  
"I've missed you so much." Raye hugged Darien once again.  
  
"I've missed you too," and he hadn't known how much until then.  
  
Together, they went to claim Darien's luggage. Once Darien had everything, they went to the parking garage and piled into Raye's van.  
  
While Chad drove, Raye talked nonstop about all the things going on. The upcoming Forth of July fair, Margaret Johnson's bake sale, and most importantly her new single neighbor.   
  
Darien tried to pay attention to Raye, he really did, but he found his niece and nephew much more entertaining. He hoped to have kids one day, he startlingly discovered. He'd never given it much thought before, but as he watched Phoebe wrestle he her brother over a toy, he knew he had to have a family of his own in the future.  
  
Chad pulled into the driveway of his home on Juniper lane. As Darien got out of the van, he couldn't help but notice the figure next door struggling with a lawnmower. He realized it must be the new neighbor he'd heard so much about. She was cute, he admitted, Shouldn't be too hard for the girls to find a husband.  
  
Darien turned and picked up Damian and sat him on his shoulders. Together they went into the house with Damian tugging Darien's hair, while Darien ignored Raye's fleeting warning of: "Don't you dare drop him, Darien!"  
  
  
  
  
Stupid grass. Stupid Lawnmower. If she'd had enough money she'd have paid someone to cut the grass, but seeing how she needed the money her new job paid her for other things, someone else to cut her grass would have to wait.   
  
She pulled the starter once again, but the lawnmower sputtered and fell silent.  
  
"Stupid piece of crap! I should send you to the junk yard!"   
  
Serena kicked the rusted heap of metal she had bought at a yard sale. If she had expected it to start by kicking it, she was highly wrong. All she ended up with was a sore toe and uncut grass.  
  
She wiped the sweat she had built up while fighting with the "rusted piece of crap" from her brow and glanced over at Raye's house. Their home, she noted when she saw the van in their driveway.   
Serena turned back to kicking and fussing at her cheap lawnmower until she heard a friendly voice call from behind.  
  
  
"Need some help?"  
  
Serena turned and saw Chad standing a few feet away, a grin plastered on his face.  
  
"What do you think?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
He chuckled, "Raye saw that you needed some help when we pulled up. She forced me over here- not that I wouldn't come by my own means- of course."  
  
Serena smiled and stepped out of the way to let him at the lawnmower, which he immediately began to fiddle around with.   
  
After a few minutes he spoke, "I found your problem." He stood up and turned to face her.   
  
"Well?"  
  
He smiled, "It needs gas."   
  
She stared at him in shock. "You're kidding." When Chad shook his head, she began to rant. "You mean to tell me tell me, I put up a fight with that, that junk heap and all it needed was gas."  
  
"S'pose so."  
  
He was smiling at her, mirth dancing in his eyes.   
  
"You find this funny, don't you," she said, eyes narrowed.   
  
"Yep."  
  
We'll she didn't. She didn't find one damn thing funny about it.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna mosey on over home. Raye's gonna want me to entertain our guest while she cooks dinner. I'm sure he'll find this entertaining." He didn't wait for her to comment, instead he turned and headed towards his home.  
  
She stared at his back and then turned towards the lawnmower. It was still a rusted piece of crap to her, even if it only needed gas. Forget this, she thought, I'll cut it tomorrow.  
  
  
  
  
  
"It needed gas! That's it? Oh, man, how funny," Darien chuckled. If only he had seen the woman's face.  
  
"She looked as if she'd kill me when I told her that it needed gas. I never did get a thank you for my service." Chad paused, listening to the sounds coming from outside. "I don't hear a lawnmower."   
  
"She probably didn't feel like cutting grass after that embarrassment."  
  
"Give Serena a break. She's very nice. I could have made the same mistake," Raye said as she came into the room. "Dinner's done."  
  
"'Bout time, Raye. We've been waiting forever," Darien said in a stern tone, but then he smiled to show he was kidding.   
  
Raye turned in a huff, but she too had a smile on her face when she entered the kitchen.  
  
"Dare, we better go before she uses her broom on us." Chad slapped Darien on the back before he picked Damian up off the living room floor and proceeded to fallow his wife.  
  
Darien Picked up Phoebe, but before he too left the room, he snuck one quick glance out the window towards Serena's house next door. He shook his head and headed towards the dinning room.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
A.N.: Hope you liked it. If you did, feel free to tell me. ^_^ 


	4. Chapter Four

TITLE: "Matchmaker Lane" (Ch. 4)  
  
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher  
  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON  
  
A.N.: Well, I finally got around to writing this chapter. I put this story on hold because of my Christmas story "Christmas Dreams" (I FINALLY posted chapter four of that story too.) I've been a little slow lately. Okay, REALLY slow. This chapter is the long awaited meeting between Serena and Darien. Hope you like it.  
  
Raye's party had been in full swing for ten minutes. Lawn chairs and tables were scattered around the in-ground pool. Bug-off candles were placed in every corner of the back yard. Festive colors decorated the tables, chairs, even the fence. A volleyball net was even strung across the pool for later. And most importantly, at least to the men at the party, the grill was going and the smell of hamburgers was filling the area.  
  
But Raye wasn't paying attention to any of that. She was too busy wondering where Serena was. From the time Raye had first met Serena, Raye had known she was reliable. And for some reason, she had grown attached to the blond, and this surprised Raye to no end. She had never became this attached to a friend in such a short amount of time. It was just her nature to be a little remote when it came to people.  
  
It had taken poor Chad four months before she finally agreed to a date, but the date had turned out to be one of her fondest memories. He had been a perfect gentleman, pulling out chairs, opening doors. Why, instead of a goodnight kiss on the lips at the end of the date, he had gently lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss. It had made her stomach flutter all the more.  
  
Needless to say, when he called her the next day, she'd been waiting by the phone.  
  
But the night Chad had proposed to her was one night she would cherish as long as she lived.   
  
They had been dating for a year and were madly in love. He had picked her up for a date, dressed casually. He had held her hand as he walked her to his car, and he had pecked her lips with his before he opened the car door. Once he was in the car be side her, he had slipped a bandanna out of his pocket and blindfolded her.   
  
He drove her to a secluded cove near the beach and had carefully helped her clamber over the rocks. When he had slowly untied the bandanna for her, she had been greeted with a small romantic picnic in the sand. Her heart had swelled at the sight.  
  
Together that ate spaghetti-chosen because he had wanted to mimic Lady and the Tramp- and watched the sun set. Together they had lain under the stars, gazing at the heavens, when he suddenly asked if she would marry him.   
  
She had replied, "After tonight, how can I say no?"  
  
Later they had made love for the very first time on that beach.  
Now she had a perfect family, and that was why she continued to set up the singles that moved onto Juniper Lane. She only wanted them to have what she had. First it had been Amy and Greg, then Lita and Ken, only to be fallowed by Mina and Andrew.  
  
"Hey, Raye, great party."  
  
"Oh, hello, Serena. I was wondering were you were," Raye said smiling after being shaken out of her thoughts.  
  
Serena looked around Raye's back yard and took in its transformation. They'd gone all out, she noted. She saw Amy and Greg sitting at a table together holding hands. Lita was trying to dunk Ken under the water in the pool, and Mina was giggling as she fed Andrew for him.  
  
Seeing the other couples together acting like teenagers, made her wish she wasn't alone. Serena was beginning to believe she was destined to be alone.   
  
"Sorry, I'm late, but I had to take a shower. I was finally able to cut the grass this mornin'."  
  
Raye smiled, "That's right, Chad told me about that. So you got some gas?"  
  
Serena didn't answer. She just grumbled and walked away leaving Raye by herself.  
  
"What'd I say?" Raye called to Serena's back.  
  
But Serena ignored Raye and kept walking. Maybe she would intrude on Amy and Greg. Deciding that would be her best bet, she changed her direction and headed towards their table, but she never made it. Phoebe ran into her path, causing Serena to stop to avoid a collision with the child.  
  
Who would be irresponsible enough to allow a two-year-old run around like this? she wondered. Surely it wasn't Raye or Chad.  
  
Bending down on her knees she spoke to the child. "Hey, sweetie. What are you doing wondering around by yourself?"  
  
"Thank you, Miss, she got away from me and I was afraid she'd head for the pool," said a masculine voice, that for a second, Serena thought was coming from Phoebe.   
  
Serena blinked and looked past the child. There her eyes focused on a pair of masculine legs, clad in a pair of shorts. She let her gaze climb to the man's chest, his neck, his chin, his eyes, his hair, and then back to his eyes. And what eyes they were, Serena thought.   
  
Serena caught herself before she went into a trance staring at the man's eyes. So to cover up her brief moment of absentminded-ness, she picked up Phoebe and stood to her full height of five-three.  
  
"You should keep a better watch on her."  
  
Who did this woman think she was, telling me how to take care of my niece? he wondered. She was one to talk. If he was right-and he always was- then this was the woman who didn't know her lawnmower needed gasoline. She was telling him how do things. It was no wonder Raye hadn't found this woman a match yet.  
  
But he reminded himself that he was a gentleman and shouldn't snap at the woman in front of him, no matter how much he wanted to. So he would pretend to be nice.  
  
"Yes, well, Miss, I would like to see you take care of these two with out losing one." Okay, he wasn't one hundred percent nice, but it was better that what he wanted to say. He never expected her to challenge him.  
  
"I bet you I can keep up with them 'til the party's over. Or are you to chicken because you know you'll lose?" She sneered at the man in front of her. Why would Raye let a man like this watch her kids? Sure he was handsome, but he was chauvinistic pig. She would teach him a lesson.  
  
Keeping Phoebe balanced on one hip, she took Damian from the man's arms and balanced him on her other hip. She walked off with the two, leaving the pig to stare after her.  
  
  
  
  
She did it. How, he did not know, but somehow that petite woman had been able to look after Damian and Phoebe without either one of them wondering off for the past hour. But, he kept reminding himself that the party had a ways to go.  
  
As he watched the woman in the pool playing with his niece and nephew, he had a feeling he was going to lose. Phoebe and Damian were both floating in kiddy floats, slashing, kicking, and smiling.  
  
But for some reason, Darien found himself watching Serena instead of his niece and nephew. He admitted, even if he didn't want to, that she had a way with kids. He watched as Damian splashed Serena in the face and Serena pretended to be mad. When he saw Raye walk over to Serena he decided he would find something to drink before they started the volleyball game.  
  
"Hey, Serena. You don't have to spend the whole party watching my children. I'm afraid they might start callin' you mama."  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not taking your children from you. I'm just proving some jerk wrong. He said I wouldn't be able to watch these tykes without one of them running off."  
  
"Really? What does this jerk look like?" Raye was curious as to who the "jerk" was. In the time Raye had known Serena, she had never heard her speak a bad thing about anyone. That was Raye's job.  
  
"Like him," Serena said pointing to the dark haired man talking to Andrew.  
  
Raye almost laughed. Serena had no idea she was pointing to her brother. Oh, how ironic, Raye thought. She could almost see the fire in Serena eyes as she glared at her brother. They'd make a cute couple- look wise. Personality was another story. It was too bad they ended up mad at each other on their first meeting.  
  
Their first meeting... First impressions never really count. Maybe...   
  
Raye left Serena to seek out the other girls.  
  
Odd, Serena thought as she watched Raye leave. Raye seemed surprised when Serena had pointed out the man. Does Raye know the man really well? she wondered. Why hadn't Raye said anything about the man? She had just left her standing there in the pool.   
  
Serena tuned back to the kids and they continued their game of splashing. She glanced over her shoulder to take one last look at Raye. She found her with the rest of the girls. What scared Serena was the way they were looking at her. They had that look in their eyes; the one they had in their eyes before they decided to set her up on a blind date.  
  
Uh oh, was all Serena could think before she was splashed in the face by one of the kids. Her mind switched its focus as she pretended to chase after Damian.  
  
  
  
Darien watched Serena in the pool. Sure she had tongue that spit fire, but she had the body of a goddess. He wouldn't be a man if he hadn't noticed how she looked, especially in her two-piece bathing suit that clung to her and left nothing to the imagination. She had the hourglass figure that all women wanted and men loved to look at.   
  
But Darien was a practical man. Looks were not important to him. Serena may have been beautiful on the outside, but she sure as hell didn't seem to be that way on the inside. She was too pushy for his likes.   
  
He kept telling himself that she was nothing but trouble, but he couldn't help but to remember that brief second he had looked into her large innocent, blue eyes. What if that innocence he had seen in those orbs was the real her?  
  
He didn't want to think about the blond anymore; so, he decided to focus his attention on what Andrew was saying.  
  
"So what to you think, Darien?" Andrew asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, it's cool." Darien stammered, pretending he had been listening the whole time.  
  
Andrew grinned; he had Darien caught. He had known that Darien wasn't paying attention, but it was all the sweeter to let Darien think he hadn't been caught. Andrew also knew what had diverted Darien's attention, a certain blond in a skimpy bathing suit.  
  
"Really? You think I should buy Mina the Hoover vacuum cleaner for our anniversary?" Andrew asked Darien.  
  
"Yeah. Sure." Darien already had Andrew tuned out again.  
  
  
  
  
*Next Day*   
  
With bubbles up to her elbows, Serena washed her dishes while staring out the window over the sink. It wasn't even lunchtime, but the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was blistering. Inside Serena's house it was nice and cool.  
  
She wiped a forearm across her face to try and get a tendril that had escaped her bun without getting any suds from her yellow gloves on her face. She rinsed the last dish and placed it on a drying rack. She snapped the yellow gloves off her hands and placed them beside the sink.   
  
Now that she was finished with the dishes, she decided to prune the roses. She put on an old bathing suit that she didn't care about and put on some shorts over it. Grabbing a pair gardening gloves and the basket of gardening tools, she set out to work in the sun.  
  
The roses needed some serious tending to. They were beginning to wilt, which saddened Serena. Serena removed any weeds and cut off any dieing leaves. While she did this, her thoughts drifted to the pervious day.  
Raye's party had been really fun, except for the jerk. It had been a shock for her to learn he was Raye's brother. She could see a resemblance. They both had dark hair, tanned skin, and both were as headstrong as they come.  
  
Darien was handsome, and that was the only thing Serena could find he had going for him. But Serena knew looks weren't everything. A person's personality was the key. A guy could be butt ugly, but as long as he had a good personality, Serena figured that was all that counted. But Serena wouldn't pass up a chance for a guy that had the perfect personality and was a hunk. However, Serena had yet to find such a guy that was single, and she figured she never would.   
  
Everyone around her seemed to have a special someone. Her new friends, her parents, even her little brother. Why was fate so cruel to her? Was she destined to be the old woman with all the cats that all the neighborhood children ran from? Was that the future she was meant to live? Would she be forever alone?  
  
She was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a lawnmower. She glanced around, looking for the culprit who had disturbed her peace. She wasn't surprised when she saw Darien pouring gasoline into the tank of a running lawnmower. He looked up as though he had felt her gaze, and they made eye contact.   
  
The moment was ruined, however, when Darien stood up and lifted the gas tank up in the air in a mock salute.  
  
Serena, blood boiling, threw her gloves onto the ground and stomped inside like a teenager mad at her parents. The nerve of that man! She flopped on the couch in the living room and grabbed the remote to the TV.   
  
After an hour of Judge Judy, she was calm and collected, but the monotonous sound of a lawnmower still penetrated the calmness of the humid summer afternoon.  
  
Serena peeked out the living room window at Raye's front yard, and her esophagus closed up. Through the window, Serena had the perfect view of Darien, bare-chested, muscles straining, and sweat gleaming under the sun. He wouldn't have been so torturing if he hadn't taken off the muscle shirt he had had on before.  
  
He looks so damn sexy it should be illegal, she thought.  
  
She continued to stare, wishing he wasn't such a jerk. When Darien turned, Serena jumped back behind the curtains, afraid she would get caught starring.  
  
  
  
  
Outside, Darien was cutting the grass, still thinking about what he had done to infuriate Serena.   
  
Raye, the tyrant, had put him to work, even though he was the guest. But there was a bright side; he wasn't cleaning out the garage like Chad. When Raye had started giving out orders, he had groaned at the prospect of cutting grass, but things had started looking up when he had walked outside and seen Serena on her knees and her butt in the air.  
  
And when Darien had caught her gaze, he couldn't help but tease her. He may not be able to control his niece and nephew, but at least he could use a lawnmower.   
  
He had one more patch of grass to cut before he was finished, and once he was through, he'd find some ice cream to eat.  
  
Ten minutes later, he was putting the lawnmower up. He was finally through with the horrendous job. It was one of the few things he didn't miss about the South. In New York, grass was something he didn't have to worry about.  
  
But his missed the South a lot. More so, he realized, now that he was back for a visit. He missed the fishing trips in which you sat on the bank, fishing rod in one hand and a beer in another. Fishing was one of the few sports you could never be too drunk to do.  
  
He also missed rising at dawn to go hunting in the woods. The solitude was always comforting while you sat up in a tree stand, gun poised and ready. At the slightest sound you'd be on alert, looking for a glimpse of your prey. Of course, Darien had never really been an expert hunter because he would always fall asleep.   
  
Then on the Fourth of July and on New Years, families would gather in their front yards to shoot of fireworks. The fireworks were never as extravagant as the ones that were shot off in New York, but it was fun nonetheless. He couldn't wait until Friday when it would be July Fourth.   
  
The fair would be in town for three days starting Wednesday, and everyone was sure to go. Every year there were many contests and giveaways on the last day, July Fourth. When he was a kid, he'd sign up for a contest. It wasn't the pie-eating contest he entered, or the shooting contest. He would always enter the dirtiest of them all: the pig catching contest.   
  
He just didn't do things like that anymore. It would seem so out of character for him to do it now. But, who knows he though taking a glance at Serena's house, I might switch roles by Friday.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
A.N.: Well that's it. Stay tuned for the next chapter. 


End file.
